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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/25036090">Chance meeting</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Get_below_my_line_of_vision/pseuds/Get_below_my_line_of_vision'>Get_below_my_line_of_vision</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Les Misérables - All Media Types</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Attempt at Humor, First Meetings, M/M</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-07-02</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-07-02</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-18 02:40:41</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>2,114</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/25036090</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Get_below_my_line_of_vision/pseuds/Get_below_my_line_of_vision</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Enjolras’ red scarf gets blown away by a strong wind and lands on Grantaire’s face. They meet for the first time this way.</p><p>Some say the colour red represents fate but how can fate lead him to a man who says “eat the rich” and thinks it’s a good idea?</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Cosette Fauchelevent/Éponine Thénardier (background), Enjolras &amp; Éponine Thénardier, Enjolras/Grantaire (Les Misérables)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>8</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>41</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Chance meeting</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>How’s everyone doing? Y’all okay? Hahaha me too... *pours two shots of vodka* *begins to sob*</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Happily, Éponine was texting her girlfriend, updating on their early waking up, getting ready to travel down south to announce their political stance in their once in a lifetime moment. Well, for Enjolras anyway. He chose for her to tag along since she was the most mellowed out by this opportunity and didn’t seem to care. Therefore, she would have counteracted his jittery behaviour.</p><p>“Oh shit,” Éponine almost yelled after Cosette asked her a simple question: <em> Are you on the train yet? xx </em></p><p>Hurriedly, Éponine went on a hunt for her blond bastard of a friend as she shouted, “We’re late, Enj, stop practising your speech and get your perfectly sculpted arse down here, we’ve got to go!”<br/>
Thereby summoning Enjolras, he slid out of the kitchen with his woolly socks. “Why didn’t you tell me earlier?”<br/>
“I got distracted!” Éponine shouted as she herded him to the front door. Then she remembered her girlfriend existed and stared at her phone with her goofy smile.<br/>
“Come on, ‘Ponine!” Now it was Enjolras’ turn to press agency.</p><p>Once they did arrive, they couldn’t decide if it was bad luck or good luck. “The train has been delayed?” Enjolras’ teeth chattered in the cold outdoors of winter. Unfortunately the right flame which always burned in his chest, fuelling only on anger at the government, failed to warm him.</p><p>It was also exactly because of their poor planning which led to their unfit clothes for the weather with Enjolras’ messy hair and Éponine constant alertness as if she had just been woken up with a bucket of cold water splashed onto her face. In fact on their way there, she had slipped backwards on ice and had landed on a pile of snow, resulting in her hair actually being wet. Since the air was so cold, some bits of snow survived on her head without being melted. </p><p>“You look like a princess.” Enjolras muttered, trying to build a conversation. It was difficult for him.<br/>
“Why?”<br/>
“Your--” He pointed at his hair. “There’s… Snow… There.”<br/>
Éponine raised her eyebrow. “You always surprise me whenever you make a beautiful, poetic speech, then fuck up normal, functional aspects of life.”<br/>
Enjolras frowned in response. It was nothing new: Éponine always was blunt and said what was on her mind without filter. Instead of digging his grave of embarrassment with the woman, he rubbed his hands together in an attempt to warm himself. As he breathed hot air into them, Éponine sighed loudly, letting out a steam as she did so.</p><p>Enjolras just stared at her in response. The pair had a strange dynamic. While Enjolras was socially awkward, Éponine was socially inept. The reason for her being blunt traced back to when Enjolras assured her in school that he would not punish or lash out on her for expressing herself. Ever since then she said whatever came into mind.<br/>
However she still found difficulty when she was trying to express kindness and affection. Unfortunately even after she escaped her abusive family she still functioned this way.<br/>
All Enjolras had to do was recognise the signs. So he reacted.</p><p>“What is it, ‘Ponine?” He tried to give a warm smile despite his cheeks freezing. He touched his face in hopes for his hands to warm it.<br/>
She gave a smirk as she unzipped his bag and pulled out a long, red scarf. “I knew you would be unprepared, so the past me used her brain.”<br/>
“You were late too,” Enjolras commented as he held the scarf with a soft grip.<br/>
“Gah, Enj, that’s why I used the past tense.” Éponine crossed her arms and huffed. “Also Cosette distracted me.”<br/>
“How?”<br/>
“Existing.” She simply shrugged.<br/>
Enjolras shifted in place rolled his eyes only to be hit by the strong, icy wind.</p><p>Thankfully the blow didn’t last long. But the damage was done. He felt his face turn pale white- or at least pale white-r. Trying to warm himself again he brought the scarf to his face only to be met with his hand. Confused, he looked down. There was no scarf.</p><p>In panic, he looked around, to see a man several steps away from him who was also waiting for the train with a red scarf on his face, unable to see.</p><p>Apologies bursting out his lips, Enjolras ran over to the man to gently peel off the scarf. “I’m so sorry. I just- I don’t know what happened exactly.”<br/>
Muffling in the scarf he heard the lightest laugh. A type where there was no burden- nothing which weighed it down, presenting the stranger to be carefree. Only if it wasn’t for the hollow sound which came along with it.</p><p>When Enjolras fumbled around until he successfully pulled away the scarf, he desperately looked to the man’s mouth, in fear the laughter would dissipate. It did. And Enjolras would’ve given anything to hear it again.<br/>
He forced a smile as he unravelled him. The man’s hand let the scarf slip past his fingers.</p><p>Due to the awkwardness of the situation, Enjolras was unprepared in how he should have reacted. Should he have walked backwards? No, that was rude. Should he stare at the man longer? No, that was creepy. Should he-- ?<br/>
“French Revolution.” The man burst.<br/>
“Hmm? What?”<br/>
“Your badge,” He pointed at his chest then gave the widest grin, “It’s the Tricolor Cockade. Looks like someone wants to kill the Royal Family. Are you on the way there?”<br/>
Surprised by his knowledge of old politics, Enjolras couldn’t help but flash a natural smile.  “No.” He furrowed his eyebrows, “I’m a realist. I think realistically. No killing.”<br/>
“Ironic,” The man gave out a laugh, “Since you don’t look realistic.” Red formed on his cheeks, most likely from the cold, “I mean, because you look fugly.”<br/>
“Oh.” Enjolras said, unsure of what his response should be. Instead, they both faced out to the tracks, waiting for the next train to come.<br/>
“Nah, I didn’t mean that. I meant that you’re handso-- good looking.”</p><p>A weaker wind blew. </p><p>There was a huge force of temptation which whispered into Enjolras’ ear to look at the man one more time. Record details of him and analyse him. Stare at him more. Enjolras shook his head, actively fighting against his inner voice.</p><p>Perhaps noticing how jittery Enjolras was, the man nudged him gently and said quietly, “Hey. I always say eat the rich.”<br/>
Enjolras was taken aback. Mainly due to his speech not fitting with his adorable face. Well, it wasn’t like the man was handsome- moreover how his facial expressions worked... well. Meanwhile he imagined himself to be more of a rusty machine.</p><p>Crap, he hadn’t responded in a long time.<br/>
The man gasped then whispered as if sharing a secret, “Are we actually going to eat the rich?”<br/>
“No!” He cleared his throat, accidentally cracking a smile. “No. Why would you say something so immature?”<br/>
Calmly, the man just smiled, melting snow nearby with his warmth, “It’s a quote. From the French Revolution? From Jean Jacques Rossaeau. He said something like,” He put on a grumpy voice, “When people have nothing more to eat, they’ll eat the rich”.”</p><p>Enjolras was completely dumbfounded, unable to wash out his blush on his face. In fact he couldn’t hide the grin which was itching to spread across his face. “I recognise that name. He was one of the top philosophers from that time, right?”<br/>
“Exactly,” He winked as he tapped him on the chest, “Name’s Grantaire, by the way.”<br/>
“Grantaire…” Enjolras made sure the word would never be foreign on his lips. “I’m Enjolras.”<br/>
“Well, Enj-ol-ras,” He had fun with his name, “Tell me, monsieur. Where are you headed?”<br/>
“To the capital.” He was quick to reply, not knowing he was smiling as he did so, “I represent a group of protesters called Les Amis. I have a speech and everything. It’s time to make a change.” He said confidently as if it was all rehearsed, all dramatic: it was the leader's blood in him. </p><p>Unfortunately though Grantaire didn’t sense this and scrunched his face as if he saw someone get hit in the face. “Really? You think a small group can make a change?”<br/>
“It’s not small, it’s huge!” He scoffed, “You’ll have to see it to know it.”<br/>
Grantaire looked to the side until back to him, “Are we still talking about the group?”<br/>
Enjolras narrowed his eyebrows, then realised what he meant “What’s wrong with you?”<br/>
“I’m pretty sure I was dropped on the head as a baby.” He shrugged. “No way of knowing fully, though. But do you know what I do know? That your plan’s going to fail, and here’s why: firstly…” And the man went on.<br/>
Evidently, Grantaire knew what he was talking about- but he didn’t <em> know </em> what he was talking about. Pretty much anything that came out of his mouth, he wanted to object too.</p><p>However, confined by politeness, Enjolras listened in, but gently pulled Grantaire back when a fast train went flying past them.<br/>
The normal behaviour after this minimal act would have dropped their hand, yet it lingered on Grantaire. This time it wasn’t Enjolras’ fault: while talking, Grantaire subconsciously let his hand explore his, thereby practically making it impossible to move his hand away. So, his touch lingered.</p><p>“Enj!” A harsh whisper divided his attention as Enjolras turned his head to see Éponine with her arms spread out, both her eyebrows lifted, her eyes wide, “Our train’s coming soon.”<br/>
Enjolras quickly nodded and gave a smile until returning to Grantaire’s rambling. “Hey, I like you.”<br/>
Grantaire immediately froze as if he was stuck in a glitch.<br/>
“Um… Okay…?” Enjolras waved his hand in front of him but there was no reaction. Anyway, he unpinned his badge and cupped the man’s hand which seemed to have awoken him and carefully placed the badge there. “I like your opinions. I think I need a no man: someone who always points out the flaws. Don’t you think?”<br/>
Grantaire made a strange noise which barely sounded like “Uh-huh”.<br/>
“Great. Come by on Tuesday. We have a meeting weekly.”</p><p>“Enj, c’mon, man. You’re worse than Marius.” Éponine sighed loudly.<br/>
“I’m guessing this Marius guy gets distracted a lot,” Grantaire gave a chuckle then a wink as he gently patted Enjolras’ back before retreating to a bench. The heat stayed alive on his shoulder blades.</p><p>Enjolras suddenly remembered he had his scarf on his other hand. He had forgotten to even wrap himself with it. But it didn’t matter; he felt warm. Somehow Grantaire single-handedly managed to chase the winter away.</p><p>As he tightly gripped his scarf, he joined Éponine as their train arrived. He gave one last glance to Grantaire as he pointed at the slowing train, miming a question if this was his train.<br/>
Grantaire chuckled softly as he shook his head. Enjolras was sure to remember his laughter.</p><p>Then, Enjolras realised, “Ah, I forgot to tell you where to find us.”<br/>
“Oh yeah,” Grantaire laughed with his whole body. “Where is it?”<br/>
“The Musain! Do you know the place?” Enjolras pointed in the North in which Éponine casually guided his arm to the South instead, correcting him.<br/>
“No way. I go there!” Grantaire said as the train slowed down to a full halt. “See you there, Adonis.”<br/>
Enjolras scrunched his face. “Who’s that?”<br/>
He clicked his fingers enthusiastically, “I’ll come up with a better nickname next time.”</p><p>With that, Éponine dragged Enjolras on board since he was too busy juggling the echoing words in his head: ‘Next time’.</p><p>Once inside, the two found a seat. Enjolras kept smiling as he looked down at his scarf. It had never felt so soft. Observing Éponine’s clothes, Enjolras concluded she didn’t buy him an expensive piece of clothing.</p><p>Feeling every thread, he wrapped it around his neck thrice. It was colder inside. In truth he was glad the scarf was hiding his grinning face. Grantaire had made the scarf feel so soft. As if the colour red was hot, Enjolras was careful to dip his lips into the material, slightly touching the scarf. The moment lasted a long time.</p><p>Eventually, he looked up at Éponine who was waving at Grantaire. He gently kicked her in the shin. “Ow, Enj, what the fuck? I thought he was your uni friend.”<br/>
Through the scarf, his muffling voice managed to escape, “I don’t know him.”<br/>
She looked back at Grantaire as the train started to move, “So, you left me alone to talk to a stranger?”<br/>
“Isn’t that what you did with Cosette?”<br/>
She crossed her arms, pouting as she looked out of the window. “Touché.”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I swear writing has been both my uprising and downfall at the same time.</p></blockquote></div></div>
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